Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 6

_Chapter 6~ His Coat_

"Can you let go of me now?"

   In response to my request, Ryu threw my hand away gruffly. I winced as I tried to rub my wrist, still feeling the effects from his tight grip, when I realized once again that I couldn't do it due to my sprained arm. I honestly hated it. Sure it could've been worse but I still had a while before it completely healed.

   "Why'd you have to go and ruin it?" Ryu groaned.

   I stared at him in disbelief. "I didn't ruin anything! You ruined it by coming out of nowhere! Where'd you come from anyway?"

   He sent me a glare and my heart nearly jumped to my throat as I came to understand who exactly I was talking to. I had to play it safe. No yelling at him. No matter how much I wanted to. He could easily kill me.

   "How about you?" Ryu asked, relaxing his look. "What are you doing out here when you should be in class?"

   I bit the inside of my lip, wanting to retort a similar question but went against it because I didn't want to get hit as a result. "I went to see the nurse."

   His eyes flitted onto my arm. "Then why are you outside?"

   "Because I jumped out of the window."

   His eyebrows furrowed. "You jumped out of the window?"

   I shrugged. "Yeah."

   The orange-haired male was quiet at first, obviously not knowing what to say, when he spoke after a long pause, "Where's your note?"

   I blinked. "Note?"

   "A note telling you a teacher allowed you to leave class."

   Staring up at Ryu, my lips came together in a tight line. I recalled the small sheet Daichi had held in his hands and never gave me, making me sweatdrop.

   "Ah..." I began, nodding, "I don't have one."

   Ryu rose an eyelid. "You don't?"

   "Nope."

   He folded his arms across his chest. "You do realize you could get in trouble for that right?"

   "But I have permission."

   "Permission from who?"

   "Ms. Osaka," I said. "I just don't have the note."

   "So you have permission but not a note?" He shook his head. "Ms. Osaka would've written you one."

   "She did."

   "Then why don't you have it?"

   "Because—"

   Ryu was fed up with my words because he blew his top. "Stop being so roundabout, Kikuchi!"

   I was honestly taken aback by the call of my name. "You know my name?"

   Ryu was still fuming but he snorted. "Why wouldn't I? It was written all over your bag."

I momentarily considered it. It was there, on my backpack, but I hadn't outright stated it.

"Besides," he continued, "unlike you, I don't have short-term memory."

   At his condescending tone, I glared. "I don't have short-term memory."

   "Sure you don't."

   Grounding my teeth, I bit back the urge to snap at him. Why did I even have to go along with this? I was just listening in to the conversation with Dad and Aki Mitsoyu. Why did he have to come and catch their attention and make us run all the way here?